Soar
by Miss Mungoe
Summary: She's of an enemy tribe, but she's fearless in her saddle, trusting her life so easily to the monstrous beasts that have so long governed his. – Gajeel/Levy, How To Train Your Dragon AU; a collection of shorts set twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death, depicting the unlikely friendship-turned-romance of a young chief and a surly dragontrapper.
1. fresh in the saddle

AN: Here's another fic I'm currently writing on tumblr, to **blanania's** dragonrider AU idea. It's sort of a How To Train Your Dragon AU, but with some obvious changes. You should absolutely check out her art for it!

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima, and How To Train Your Dragon to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks. I own absolutely nothing. Cover image by Grace/blanania.

* * *

><p><strong>Soar<strong>

by Miss Mungoe

* * *

><p>She caught the shout for help a moment after her dragon did – a distorted echo between the crags jutting out of the storm-grey waters.<p>

Leaning down, Levy ran her palm across the ridge along Whirlwind's neck. "Can you tell where it's coming from?"

The low rumble rolled up along its belly, and she nodded. "Okay, let's go low. It's going to be hard to see with the mist so thick–"

A gurgle of protest cut her off, and she laughed. "Okay, okay – I'm sure it's no challenge. But you don't have to get all testy – remember what happened last time we went flying here?" Her answer was a grunt, and she patted a scaled belly. "Yeah, I thought so. I'll keep an extra eye out."

Tucking her legs closer, she leaned down into her saddle, pressing flat against her dragon's back as it circled between the rocks rising out of the water. With the morning mist curling thick around the crags, her vision was a world of grey, but the voice reached her over the wind – a man's, calling for help.

Then she saw it – a speck of colour against the rock's side. "There!" And her partner obeyed, like an extended limb, manoeuvring around smoothly to descend towards a ledge jutting out not far above the water. Whoever had gotten stuck must have taken refuge there after a shipwreck, but the whirlpools made it impossible to take to the water by way of escape.

Her landing was smooth despite the size of the ledge, and Levy slid easily out of the saddle, a cheerful greeting at the tip of her tongue as she ducked out from behind one large wing. "The gods' luck is with you today! I was just flying by when–"

A roar cut her off, but before she could fall back a great tail lashed out to repel the attacker, sending him sprawling along the rocky ledge, before it curled around Levy's feet. A thundering growl rose up in her dragon's throat, but she placed a hand on his neck to soothe him. "It's okay! They're probably just scared. Excuse me? Hey! Are you okay?"

A series of guttural curses rose from the pile of fur and leather, before he picked himself up off the rock, and she watched with widening eyes a long dark braid slide over a strong shoulder to dangle against his hip. An angry scowl followed as he rose to his full height, and her traitorous eyes lingered a little too long on the arms sticking out of his fur vest, before they flickered across the expanse of a leather-covered chest.

Then she caught sight of the markings on his arm, and her breath stopped dead in her throat. "You're a hunter," she breathed, taking a reflexive step back as he turned his gaze from her dragon to her.

His scowl deepened with confusion. "In Hel's name are you supposed to be?"

Whirlwind growled a warning, but Levy placed a hand against its flank. "I'm a dragonrider."

He looked at her dragon, then back to her, an expression of disbelief tugging at his hard features. She made note of the metal studs lining the rise of his brow, and the sides of his sharp nose. Battle ornaments, but none she recognized.

"You __ride__ that thing?" He barked a laugh. "Tiny little thing like you…riding __that__?" he gestured to her dragon, looming large at her side.

Levy crossed her arms over her chest. "Whirlwind is a __he__, not a 'that', and __yes__, seeing as I did fly him down here, logic dictates I'd be his rider." She raised a brow. "Not the sharpest axe in the forge, are you?"

The hunter glowered, and stepped forward. "You better watch it."

Levy shared a look with her partner, before looking back at the dragonhunter. "Or what?" she asked. "As I see it, I'm the one with the only way off this ledge. And unless you've got a pair of wings hidden beneath that vest," she continued, and cast a casual glance over the edge, to the whirlpools below. "You're going to need my help."

She held out her hand – a gesture of peace, wherever he came from. "Or would you like me to leave you here? I'm sure someone will come along,_oh_, maybe in a month or so. With winter so close, the ice will make it hard for seafarers." She smiled. "But you already know that."

He glared, and she raised a brow. "It's a quick trip to the mainland," she said then, patting the worked leather of her custom saddle. "And I've got more than enough room for two. Tiny thing like me, I don't take up much space in the saddle."

He looked anything but humoured. "Fine," he snapped then. "I'd…__appreciate__ the help."

Levy tilted her head. "Swallowed something sour?"

He glared, and didn't respond as he took a step closer, but halted when Levy turned her palm towards him, a gesture for him to stop. "Wait."

He groaned. "What __now__?"

"What's your name?"

He didn't look the least inclined to say, but relented, looking for all the world like he'd rather throw himself into the whirlpools. "Gajeel." He shifted his stance. "Son of Metalicana," he added, almost reluctantly.

The name sounded familiar, but she let it go. "Tribe?"

He squared his shoulders. "Phantom Lord." At her frown, he threw his hands up. "_What_?"

"You tried to shoot down my friend," she said. "And her dragon."

He looked at her like she'd just told him ice was cold. "We're_dragonhunters,_" he enunciated. "So yeah, we might have, if she was flyin' around on one."

For a single moment, she considered leaving him, remembering the broken arm Lucy still sported after her tumble from her saddle. She'd made it out without any worse injuries and her dragon was no worse for wear, but it didn't change the fact that his tribe had been behind the attack. Perhaps he'd been the one to launch the net, even.

But Levy knew the value of life, and the consequences of her actions if she left him where he was. Chances were, there'd be no one looking for him, and even if there was it could be weeks before anyone found him. And she wasn't ready to have one of Hel's souls on her conscience, no matter what tribe he hailed from.

An idea struck her then, and she smiled. "I just figured out your payment."

He frowned. "Payment? The Hel for?"

Her smile widened. "For passage off this rock. Or did you think I'd let you get off free of charge?" She turned to her dragon, running her fingers along the underside of his chin. "You know, I think we'll let him ride belly-side, hmm? It's got the __best__ view."

Whirlwind rumbled its amusement, and she patted its side as she leapt into the saddle. The hunter was watching them warily, as though unsure of whether or not she wasn't planning to just shove him off the ledge and be done with it.

Unfolding his wings, Whirlwind rose from his perch, and the dragonhunter took a step back, panic flashing through his eyes.

"Now, I feel I need to tell you, don't make any sudden movements or he might drop you."

"_Drop_–wait, wh–the Hel do you think yer doing, get–!" But his protests were lost in the bellow that escaped him as a beat of Whirlwind's wings sent him flying off the ledge. But Levy was quick, and before he'd so much as brushed the surface of the water, he was hoisted up by a set of talons, the sudden change enough to lodge his scream in his throat. His braid dangled down as they rose smoothly above the dark and whirling waters below.

"She's due an apology, you know!" she called down, eyes bright as she bent over in her saddle, to get a better view of where he dangled from Whirlwind's claws. "Gajeel, son of Metalicana." She grinned. "I'm sure she'll appreciate you stopping by to make one!"

"Oye! This wasn't part of the–"

"I'll drop you off on the mainland later!" she called as they rose into the clouds. The wind surged around them, a steady roar in her ears, and she breathed in the salt of the sea, her smile stretching wide across her face.

"But first let me take you for a ride!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hel<strong>: Queen of Helheimr, the afterlife of those who die natural deaths.


	2. great things come on small wings

AN: Here's the second part! This fic will be a collection of shorts from this AU that I'll write whenever the fancy strikes me, and I'll upload them here and on my tumblr. They'll be chronological, and will sometimes feature different characters, though it's mostly about Gajeel and Levy. Expect shenanigans, and dragons.

* * *

><p>"You're the <em><em>chief<em>_?"

She glanced up from where she was unhooking the buckles on Whirlwind's saddle, to find him looming at her back, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and outright accusation.

"Yeah," she said, running her fingers along the dragon's chin. She tried not to smile. "Surprised?"

"But you're–" he stopped, and clamped his mouth shut.

She raised a brow. "Yes?"

He resolutely kept his mouth shut, but the word hung between them, regardless. But there was no irritation skimming along her veins this time, only a smug sort of pleasure.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Size matters with you, huh? That's the second time you've brought it up since we met."

He shrugged. "It's surprising, 's all I'm saying."

"That someone so short could become chief?"

He glared. "Didn't say __that.__ Just could've mentioned it," he pointed out with a grumble.

She shrugged, but the gesture felt stiff. "I thought you'd figure it out on your own, to be honest. It's been three days, and it's not like it's the village secret. And anyway, it's a new thing," she said. "I've only been chief a few weeks. My mother was the chief before me." She paused. The hurt lingered, a phantom splinter under her skin. "She passed away."

Something shifted on his face, before his features settled back to accommodate for his usual glower. "Ah." Then he shifted his weight, clearly awkward, but she didn't know what to say to break the sudden tension.

"So does everyone on this rock have their own dragon?" he asked then.

Levy smiled. "Not everyone. You can't just pick one – the dragon's got to choose you, and we don't allow the youngest to fly, for obvious reasons. But most of us do, yeah. Not all of us are dragonriders, but everyone helps care for them."

She looked out over the village centre, shielding her eyes from the sun. "That one over there, that's Skywise," she said, pointing at a small, bird-like dragon by the well. "Her rider is Wendy, you see her with the dark hair? And the one in the pen next to it, that's Starlight." She hesitated. "She's Lucy's."

"The one we shot down," he added, throwing her a sidelong look. "I apologized."

Levy smiled. "You did. And you __stayed___._"

He shrugged. "No one came looking. They all probably think I'm dead."

"And you don't think anyone misses you?" She found it hard to believe. Dragonhunters or not, there had to be someone waiting for him back home. He obviously didn't have a wife, although she didn't know why _that_particular thought made her feel relieved.

He seemed to think about it. "There's one," he said then, after a pause. He snorted. "She's about the only decent soul in the whole damn tribe. Crazy as they come, but she's family, I guess."

She wanted to ask what he meant by that, strictly speaking, but he beat her to the punch. "So, what's so special about those dragons?"

Levy smiled. "Well, Skywise is small and light – and she suits Wendy pretty well. Lucy's dragon is bigger, but what she lacks in speed she makes up in fire-power."

Gajeel snorted. "Wouldn't think that with such a girly name."

She gave him a look. "What I'm trying to say is, don't judge a dragon by its rider, __or__ the other way around. They don't always match – that's part of why it works as a partnership. Like this, over there – see that big one sleeping by the forge?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"That's Hearthfire– his rider is Natsu, if you remember him?"

Gajeel snorted. "Pink hair, right? Hard to forget."

She grinned. "That's the one. His dragon's a sturdy breed, but their size makes them slow fliers, and they're not very aggressive." She grinned. "Lucy says he's too patient for Natsu, but they make it work. The dragon doesn't always have to fit the rider's temperament – usually that ends badly. Natsu tends to be a little reckless, but Hearthfire keeps him from landing himself in the fjord."

"But this one," she said then, motioning with her hand, and he looked down with a shout of surprise as a dragon came trotting forward. Levy laughed, pressing her palm against a warm muzzle. "Hello, girl," she cooed.

When she looked up, he'd taken a step back, apparently still wary at close quarters with the dragons. "This breed is our fastest," she explained. "But don't be fooled, she's pretty strong, even if she's such a small thing." She met his gaze, tongue in her cheek, and was pleased to see him finally crack a smile.

"Yer never going to let me live that down, huh?"

She grinned. "Not a chance."

The dragon crooned, before a tongue flicked out to lap at his fingers, and he yelled in alarm. "Hey, get off!"

Levy laughed. "She can probably smell the fish from supper."

The dragon gurgled, and persisted despite his protests, nudging a round forehead into his side with enough force to almost topple him over.

She wasn't a hatchling, but still of the younger broods, and had no rider and no name, yet. Her breed was one of fast flyers, with lithe shapes good for making sharp turns. Compared to some of the other dragons like Whirlwind she looked small and she was unlikely to grow any more, but the silver-grey scales lining her belly and back were near impenetrable, compared to the softer hides of many of the other breeds.

"She likes you," Levy said, and tried not to sound surprised. She'd imagined he'd be too hostile to take to any of the dragons, but he'd kept his calm, and his shoulders had lost some of their tension now. He'd even stepped closer to the drake.

"She have a name?"

The grumble caught her by surprise. "No," she said. Then, tentatively, "Not yet." She tried to meet his eyes, to convey the meaning behind her words, but he was busy looking at the dragon. "Why don't you name her?"

He snorted. "Right."

She turned to face him fully. "No, I'm serious. Why don't you pick a name for her?" Her smile widened. "Like I said, she likes you."

As if in response, the dragon pushed her brow into his side again, making him stagger, and he grumbled, but reached out to tentatively pet it. "The hell kind of name should that be?" he asked then. "I don't know shit about these things. I grew up __hunting__ dragons, and we don't…name 'em back where I come from."

__We don't name our kill __was what he'd been about to say, and she was surprised to see that he'd opted for vagueness. To spare her feelings? Or out of respect? She honestly didn't know.

She tried not to think about exactly what they did to dragons where he came from, and tried to focus on him now, awkwardly trying to get along with one for the first time in his life. And it kindled a thought in her that there __was__ hope for vikings like him to see more than just beasts meant to trap and kill.

She hummed under her breath. "Well, when you look at her, what's the first thing that springs to mind? Does she remind you of anything?"

He looked at her then, one brow raised, and she didn't miss the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She raised a brow in turn. "You're hilarious."

He grinned. "Told ya she was small, didn't I? Like you."

Levy pursed her lips, but found it hard not to smile – there was quite a bit of difference between the way he said it now, and the way he'd said it that day she'd picked him up off that ledge. "You can't name her after me," she said, then. "Have some sense of originality, would you?"

He seemed to think about it, and took another look at the dragon, who seemed quite taken with him, now that he was paying attention to her. He ran a hand along her spine, the way he must have seen Levy do, and gained confidence when the drake seemed to purr in response.

He laughed then, his grin a wickedly delighted thing. "Shorttail," he said, meeting her gaze, eyes alight with his humour. "__Shorty__ for short."

He looked obviously pleased with himself, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Think you're clever, huh?" But she didn't let him answer. "Shorttail?" she repeated, tasting the name on her tongue. The look he was giving her seemed to be daring her to disagree, and she found her smile come easily in return. "You're really running with this theme, aren't you?"

He grinned. "Well, what was it that you said? That size don't mean shit?" He put a hand on the dragon's head, palm splayed across her scaly brow, and she crooned in response, pushing further into the warmth of his hand. Small as she was compared to the other dragons, compared to a normal human she was easily twice the size of a full grown horse.

But the name seemed to fit, Levy realized. With her tail curled around her body, she found it wasn't half the length of Whirlwind's.

"Well, for your sake, I sure hope that's the case."

He frowned, features darkening suddenly at the implications behind her words. "Why?"

She grinned. "Because it's customary that the one who names a dragon, rides it."

He visibly balked, but she didn't allow him a chance to protest. "Welcome to the tribe, Gajeel, _rider of the ferocious Shorttail_." And with an exaggerated flourish, Levy turned to leave, smug grin just barely concealed.

"Oye!" he called after her. "The Hel– you can't just decide that!"

She grinned, as she set her course towards the mead-hall, the breeze tugging at the loose strands of her hair and the smell of the fjord sharp in her nose.

"I'm the __chief__," she called back, her grin curving wide and shameless over her face as her laughter bubbled up in her chest. With a last look back at his flabbergasted face, his new partner purring pleased as a cat at his side, she offered him a last smile.

"I can decide whatever I want."


End file.
